Inconvenient Reality
by AM9
Summary: After meeting someone else, Usagi decides to break off her "friends with benefits" relationship with Mamoru. It ends up being far more difficult than she anticipated. U/M AU
1. Chapter 1

Hi all! You might recognize me as the prolific reviewer AM. I've been reading a lot of good fanfics that inspired me, and I finally figured I would give writing a shot. Please review! Tell me if you notice any errors, and definitely give me your opinion on the story and characterization. This fic will only be one or two more chapters. It's already all planned out, but I haven't finished drafting. I would love to hear what you think!

-AM

* * *

"This—sleeping together, dating, whatever it is that we're doing—it needs to stop."

No sooner had Mamoru opened the door than Usagi had blurted out her thoughts. The tall, black-haired man stared down at the small blonde, his eyes unreadable. He turned, walked back into his living room, and sat down on his couch.

Usagi took this as her cue to follow him, slipping off her boots in the doorway and sitting down on his recliner.

"When you texted me to say you were coming over for 'serious talk' on a Wednesday evening," Mamoru said, punctuating the phrase with finger quotations, "I figured it wouldn't be fun."

Usagi had briefly practiced what she was going to say on the subway ride over. Mamoru said nothing further, so she launched into her explanation, unintentionally examining her fingernails.

"Well, these last four or five months have been fun. You know I like you a lot and I've come to consider you a good friend. I care about you, so I want you to be happy. But I don't think this is working for me any more."

She finally looked over at Mamoru, but he was not looking at her. He was fixated on his plain white walls.

Usagi continued. "I'm already 27, and at this point in my life I'd like to start looking for something a little more serious. I met this nice guy at work, his name's—"

"Don't tell me his name—I don't want to hear about it!" Mamoru's sudden outburst threw her off-guard.

"What are you getting upset about? We both agreed from the start that this…'thing' wouldn't be serious," Usagi said, beginning to feel indignant. "And especially coming from the guy who claims monogamy is a social construct…"

"Don't you think I have a bit of say in this? I mean, we met first; shouldn't you consult with me before running off with someone else?" His tone was now acrimonious.

"Whoa, consult with you? Don't get me wrong, I knew you weren't going to be all sunshine and roses about this, but I figured you would understand. You're being hypocritical. I don't know who else you might be sleeping with, but I haven't bothered you about it. And now I want something different," Usagi finished.

Mamoru remained silent for what felt like minutes. When he spoke again, his tone was more calculated and calm. "I suppose it is inevitable that spending this much time together resulted in emotional attachment and dependency, despite our prior agreement."

"Emotional attachment? I guess that—" Usagi's train of thought was broken by her phone alarm alerting her to take her birth control pill. She had started the pill while seeing Mamoru; she supposed she would be continuing to use it with Seiya. Usagi stood up automatically and walked to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. As she stood at the sink she heard his footsteps coming up behind her, but she chose not to turn around.

Mamoru pressed himself up against her back and she felt his mouth hovering just over her right earlobe. "Do you really think anyone else can fuck you the way I do?"

He trailed his lips down the side of her neck, while his left hand moved in slow, tantalizing motions just under her waistband. "I know just the right angle to make you come all over my sheets. It's almost too easy."

Usagi stiffened but involuntarily clenched her legs together as she felt his erection pulsating on her lower back. Mamoru reached his other hand under her shirt and began to cup her breast, and she knew she had to do something before they ended up on his bed.

She pulled his hands off her body, stepped away a few feet and took a deep breath. "That's not fair. I wasn't complaining about our sex life. Stop trying to distract me with your prowess in bed; it's irrelevant to the issue at hand."

"Ah, so you want a serious, monogamous relationship. Want me to tell you I love you? Want me to get on one knee and propose? I'll become a salaryman, and we can have two cute kids." Mamoru smirked and continued. "It's human nature; women always want a relationship. They always want more than I can give them."

"Stop being such an arrogant prick! Fine, yes, I'm the female stereotype: I want a serious relationship. But I'm telling you that I want to pursue one with someone else! Do you think me breaking it off is a manipulative ploy to get you to confess your love for me or something?" Usagi glared at him; his silence answered her question.

Inflamed, Usagi kept going. "Do you really think I want to be with someone like you and expect a life of constant infidelity? I'm not even sure you're capable of romantic love. You have so much baggage. I don't know if it has to do with your parents' accident, your experience in foster homes, or—"

"That's enough," Mamoru cut her off. "This conversation is over." He began walking back to his front door.

"God, I'm sorry," Usagi sighed. "I shouldn't have brought that up. Look, I was hoping we could end this on relatively okay terms, but I guess that's not possible. I'm sorry that it has to be like this. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You should go," Mamoru said, now gesturing at the door. He had turned ice cold, and she knew that any further conversation attempts would be futile.

Usagi put on her boots, re-wrapped her scarf around her neck and turned back around to look at Mamoru. "Bye," she said, but he again avoided eye contact. She walked out the door.

As she was standing in the elevator on the way down, she thought back to what her best friend Minako had said to her during last week's gossip session with her friends.

* * *

"_Usagi, you guys are spending a lot of time together. Are you sure something isn't developing? You know, presence makes the heart grow fonder, or whatever."_

_"Minako, that's just completely...that's not..." Ami stuttered._

_"There is absolutely no way he's in love with me, or even close. I guess we both have some feelings for each other, but it doesn't run very deep. He's too self-centered, and he's got too many issues," Usagi said._

_"Yeah, Mina," Rei said, "have you ever spoken with him? One of my friends at JX went on a few dates with him. She said that under his delicious exterior, he's just an egotistical bastard."_

_"But the sex still sounds great..." Minako sighed._

_"Okay, moving on, it's time to hear about this new blossoming romance with your coworker, Usagi. Spare no details!" Makoto changed gears, and the subject was abandoned._

* * *

Mamoru had certainly been more upset than she had anticipated; however, that could be attributed to his emotional attachment to her. Usagi regretted hurting Mamoru, but she knew she had done the right thing considering her own desires and expectations about relationships.

Usagi walked out the door of Mamoru's apartment complex and headed toward the station, trying to dismiss a niggling feeling in the back of her mind. Was it merely guilt for hurting Mamoru, which was unfortunate but acceptable in the grand scheme of things, or was it something more? She could not answer her own question, and instead switched her thoughts to her dinner date with Seiya the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone, thank you for all of your reviews! I was completely ecstatic when I saw the response. **Querida Usagi**: Thank you for that kind, complimentary review! I absolutely love your story, and my Mamoru is marginally patterned after your Endymion, haha. **CynDLou12**: Great catch on the birth control part, although actually I hadn't meant to imply anything. Having never had a baby, I would feel very out of my element writing about pregnancy. Arrogant, commitment-phobic guys, on the other hand, are in my realm of experience ;)

Okay, on to Chapter 2 of Inconvenient Reality. Please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think!

* * *

**-Late Friday night-**

Usagi awoke to the humming of her cell phone. She grabbed it and glanced at the screen. It was 2 a.m. and Mamoru had sent her a message:

_So many girls in the club r dying to go home w me_

Usagi sighed. Mamoru was clearly drunk and seeking to make her jealous. It had been only two days since she had stopped by his apartment and told him she wanted to call it quits. She thought his pride would prevent him from contacting her, but apparently she had misjudged him on that point as well.

She turned off the vibration-on-silent feature, put her phone back on the nightstand and went back to sleep.

* * *

**-Late Saturday night-**

_Youll be sorry. When he cant make you cum_

Usagi looked at her phone in disbelief. Waking her up with pompous, vulgar drunk texts two nights in a row? He was insufferable, she thought, and turned off her phone.

* * *

**-Wednesday evening-**

Usagi was working past 8 p.m. to help her boss prepare an important brief. She took a small bite of her cold mayo and potato pizza and stretched; it had been a long day. Seiya, who worked as a judicial scrivener several doors down, had dropped in to give her a kiss on the cheek and then left the building hours ago.

They had hardly been dating a week, but she genuinely liked him. There was not the same passionate spark of sexual chemistry as with Mamoru, but Seiya was thoughtful, kind, and pleasantly normal.

Usagi thought back to when he had asked her to lunch three weeks before. She had been using the copy machine when the attractive man she recognized as having a nearby office (but had never interacted with save for a morning greeting in the elevator) came up to her with a conspiratorial grin.

* * *

"_I have to ask you a favor, but promise me you won't laugh," he said._

"_Okay, what is it?" Usagi asked, still preoccupied with finishing her task._

"_I have to give documents to clients every single day, but I have no clue how to use a copy machine."_

_Usagi paused from her work to look up at him._

_He continued. "I have a secretary and she always handles it. But she called in sick today for the first time, and now I have to confront this fear of mine. It's embarrassing because copy machines aren't __even modern technology. It just seems too late to learn now. Like finally asking a co-worker's name after four months of working down the hall from each other. I'm Seiya, by the way."_

_Usagi was slightly taken aback. He had started off rambling, but then he managed to turn on some charm._

"_I'm Usagi. Um, you just have to decide what functions you need in the menu, like stapling or double sides, and here you choose how many copies you want. Then you slide the papers in over here and press this button." _

_She glanced over at him expectantly, but he was still looking at her face._

"_You might need to explain that again, Usagi, perhaps over lunch today? I'll probably need some diagrams." Seiya winked, and Usagi agreed to join him. _

* * *

They had found each other comfortable conversation partners. After several lunches and coffee dates, Usagi had begun to consider dating Seiya exclusively, but there was one major issue. She did not mind engaging in a office relationship, because he was not her direct superior. What concerned her was that she was practically living with Mamoru on the weekends. She knew it was not fair to Seiya, which had resulted in her visit to Mamoru's apartment last week. Now her and Seiya were "officially" dating.

Usagi took another bite of pizza and tried to focus on the papers in front of her, but her mind kept wandering back to her conversation with Mamoru. How "attached" had he gotten, and what exactly did that mean?

She took a look at her phone, and was surprised to see a text each from Seiya and Mamoru. Seiya's was from soon after he left the office:

_Hey beautiful, don't stay at work all night!_

Usagi smiled, and looked at the second text from an apparently sober Mamoru:

_You should come over and watch a movie with me. I'll make you a chocolate milkshake. We can cuddle. Maybe we'll hold hands._

Usagi giggled internally despite herself. Now he was trying the "boyfriend" route, but he obviously did not have much experience. She thought it was sort of endearing, but then had to remind herself that the only reason she found the message endearing was that he had never attempted to say or do anything romantic with her before. They never held hands. When they walked down the street, he was frequently five steps in front of her. He had scoffed when she asked him to make her a grilled cheese sandwich.

Usagi steeled her resolve; she just wanted him to move on. She chose not to respond.

"Usagi? We really need to get this done tonight." Ms. Morita's voice brought her out of her reverie.

"Oh yes, sorry! Let me just check this citation again," Usagi said, hoping that Mamoru would refrain from contacting her again that evening.

* * *

**-Thursday evening-**

Usagi had just collapsed on the couch after another long day at work when she heard her phone ringing. Though her muscles protested, she slowly got up to answer it.

"Usagi, please come out to dinner with me tomorrow night. It'll be a real date. Don't overanalyze it and don't say no. Just come. You'll have an amazing time."

Apparently Mamoru was still working the boyfriend angle, Usagi thought. For a brief moment she considered giving him a chance; she truly had not expected him to persist. But she knew that if she went out with him, they would inevitably end up drunkenly groping, and she questioned her willpower to resist. She did not want to start off her relationship with Seiya so inauspiciously.

"Mamoru, that's a terrible idea. Even if I have a great time with you, it won't change my concerns, which have more to do with long-term incompatibility. Besides, I've started seeing Seiya already."

"I told you, I don't want to hear his name. Wear something nice and meet me at the Hachiko statue at 7 p.m. tomorrow. Don't be late." Mamoru hung up before she had the opportunity to argue.

She could have called him back and angrily refused, but she didn't. She tried to convince herself that she would leave immediately after dinner to prevent a scenario involving her mounting him and then him flipping her over and taking her from behind...but somehow she knew she was lying to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone, thanks for all the reviews for chapter 2! They made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and definitely motivated me to get this chapter out sooner. **Arabella Violetta**: Good questions—I will try to answer some of them in this chapter. **CyndiLou12 **and **Querida Usagi**: I'm just as confused about my Seiya as Usagi is; he would clearly be a better boyfriend to her than my Mamoru, haha. **Lisa4**: Thank you! Hope you come back to SM fanfiction some day :)

Hope everyone enjoys chapter 3! Oh, and I guess I lied when I said the fic would only have two or three chapters in total. It looks like there will be two more chapters.

-AM

* * *

**-Friday Evening-**

Usagi had managed to get home from work on time to get ready for her date, but was now pacing around her bedroom in a bra and thong after a half hour of waffling. Several dresses, tops and skirts were arrayed on the bed, and multiple pairs of heels lay discarded throughout the room. She looked at the clock, cursing when she realized she only had 20 minutes left to get ready. At least she had already showered and fixed her hair.

She felt foolish being anxious about their date; she usually did not put that much thought into her appearance before meeting Mamoru. It did not help that her conscience was admonishing her for betraying Seiya.

Usagi tried to rationalize that she should not feel too guilty having dinner with Mamoru—after all, it would probably be the last time she was going to see him. Maybe it would give them some measure of closure, she thought.

Suddenly Usagi felt a wave of uncertainty about what she was doing. She decided to call Minako, needing the support of one of her friends and knowing that her fellow blonde would be the least judgmental. She dialed Minako's number and explained the situation.

As expected, Minako let out a squeal, and Usagi imagined she may have been jumping up and down. "Oh my god, the self-proclaimed anti-monogamist is taking you out on a fancy, romantic date? I told you he is so totally in love with you!"

"It's not going to be romantic," Usagi said. "He's just trying his best to hold on to me, and he thinks this might work."

"So you're still planning to stay with Seiya? Does he know you're going?"

"Yes to the first, and no to the second. This whole thing is making me agitated, Mina. I'm not even dressed yet—"

"Oh!" Minako interrupted, "You're calling for clothing recommendations? I think you should wear that sexy red v-neck dress that proudly displays the twins."

"Thanks for that unsolicited advice," Usagi said, "but having him lust after me is the exact opposite of what I'm trying to do. I want this to be the last night we see each other, and I'm going to be clear that I'm dating someone else."

Minako paused a moment before replying. "I see you're trying to convince yourself of that logic. So really then, why are you going? If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to just cut off all contact?"

"I guess...shit, Mina, I don't know. I feel compelled to go. But...maybe I _am_ giving him one last try?" Usagi began to question herself again.

"It's okay to be confused about your feelings, sweetheart," Minako said. "But you should make up your mind about these boys as soon as possible. Have a good time, and don't do anything I wouldn't do. Or more like, don't do anything I would do. Oh, you know what I mean, don't do anything stupid!"

Usagi could not help but laugh. "Thanks, Mina. I'll let you know how it goes."

She hung up the phone and noted that she was now down to 15 minutes. She finally elected to wear a classy and professional black sheath dress that began near her neck and ended at her knees. That way her attire would be appropriate for the restaurant but she would not feel like she was misleading Mamoru about her intentions.

After putting on a string of pearls, touching up her make-up and slipping on a pair of black heels, Usagi grabbed her coat and hurried out the door. She power-walked to the station, and was lucky enough to get a seat on the train.

She sighed and leaned her head back against the glass. How did I get into this mess? she wondered. She thought back to when she first met Mamoru at her friend Jadeite's party.

Jadeite and Usagi had both been psychology majors at Tsukuba University. They had most of their classes together, and frequently studied together in the library for final exams. He was funny and flirtatious, and by their junior year they had become real friends, rather than merely study buddies.

When they graduated, Jadeite had thrown a party at his apartment. Usagi had been standing and sipping her drink, and she remembered Jadeite walking up to her, trailed by an extremely good-looking man with dark hair and blue eyes.

* * *

**-One year ago-**

"_Hey, Usagi, I want you to meet my friend, Mamoru. He just moved back to Tokyo after studying in the U.S. for a few years. And he specifically requested that I introduce you," Jadeite said, grinning. _

"_Oh, hi, nice to meet you. I'm Usagi." She held out her hand, noticing that Jadeite was already sidling away._

_Mamoru took her hand and spoke in a slow, seductive tone. "Hi gorgeous, the pleasure is all mine."_

_His attempt to be smooth rubbed her the wrong way. She could not deny that he was attractive. But he was aware of that fact, which made him easier to dismiss. "I didn't say 'pleasure to meet you,' so using that phrase makes no sense." _

_Mamoru was clearly stunned by her response, but he recovered quickly. "You're absolutely right. Nice to meet you too, Usagi. As Jadeite said, I just came back to Tokyo. I used to know all the trendy spots, but I'm sure those places are now passé. I've been living in New York City, so I haven't had reason to come back to Tokyo until landing my job at JX Holdings. Would you mind showing me around town a bit? We can go to dinner on Friday."_

_He was dripping with a cocksure attitude, like she should be honored that he was showing interest in her. He has probably never been rejected in his life, Usagi thought. _

"_I'm sorry, but I'm going to be quite busy with training this month, and then I'll be even busier when work starts. Welcome back to Japan; I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding someone who can help you out." Usagi walked away and joined a group of girls chatting._

* * *

After Usagi had begun working as a legal assistant at a law firm and Jadeite had taken a position in human resources at a automotive part manufacturing company, the two of them had tried to continue their friendship. Every month or so when she would call Jadeite to meet up, he would invite her to another house party or a group gathering at a bar. And Mamoru was always there.

Usagi had found Mamoru quite irritating. In fact, she still found him irritating in the present as well, but she was drawn to him, for primarily physical reasons. In any case, she had turned him down on at least four separate occasions.

Wow, I guess he always _was_ fairly persistent, she thought.

The turning point had been one night when Usagi had gone out with Jadeite and a group of his friends to an _izakaya._

* * *

**-Six months ago-**

_Usagi was on her fourth beer and feeling tipsy._

_She was sitting in-between two of Jadeite's co-workers, one of whom was attempting to chat her up. Mamoru was sitting on the far end of the table staring at her._

_The flirty one stood up to go to the bathroom, and within 30 seconds Mamoru had taken his seat. _

"_Why do you keep turning me down?" Mamoru asked her._

"_I don't know," Usagi said, "but maybe because you're an arrogant asshole. Cheers!" She attempted to clink his glass, but she had no beer left, and he had not brought his glass over. _

"_Ouch, that hurts." Mamoru grabbed another glass for himself and poured them both full glasses of beer. "Let's have another drink." _

_The night went on and they both kept drinking. Usagi was actually enjoying his company, despite his cocky attitude. He had a unique sense of humor, and he kept her laughing with ridiculous stories. Little by little Jadeite's other friends began to leave, but Usagi and Mamoru hardly noticed. She also hardly noticed that she had begun leaning on him, and he had wrapped his arm around her waist. She was aware, however, of his intoxicating, manly smell, which she found very arousing._

_Jadeite tapped Usagi on the shoulder to tell her it was 2 a.m. and he was leaving. She could not believe that she and Mamoru had been pleasantly engaging in conversation for so long. _

_Usagi and Mamoru decided to leave soon after, and Mamoru insisted on escorting her outside and waiting with her for a taxi. As soon as they exited the building, they jumped on each other. Mamoru pushed her against the wall, kissing her fiercely. She pulled on his shirt and clawed at his back. _

_Mamoru was biting her neck and grabbing her ass roughly, but she wanted more. She found herself arching her lower body up, searching for friction. _

_After a few minutes of this, Usagi pulled away from a kiss._ "_Fuck, Mamoru, we're dry humping in public."_

"_Okay," he said, his voice low,"let's go somewhere." They walked around the corner and found a love motel._

* * *

After that first time they slept together in the love motel, Usagi started regularly sleeping over at his place on Friday nights. But a pattern began to develop: they started having brunch together, and that eventually led to afternoon movie-watching. Then they would have dinner together on Saturday night and go out drinking, and after that it just seemed logical that she would stay over again. Her girlfriends noticed that she was spending the entire weekend with Mamoru, but she appeased them by never missing their Monday "Gossip Night."

But despite all the time Mamoru and Usagi were spending together, they never progressed beyond the "friends with benefits" stage. She never left any clothing or hygienic items at his place. They never referred to each other as boyfriend or girlfriend. On the occasional weekends where she was not at his place the entire time, she assumed he was probably sleeping with other women—maybe even on weekdays, as well.

The tone had been set by a meeting they had about a month after they began sleeping together. They had met for lunch at a Mexican restaurant, and somehow the topic had drifted toward discussing "what they were."

* * *

**-Five months ago-**

"_Ah, some sort of label?" Mamoru placed some meat and peppers in his tortilla, and his voice became almost clinical. "I don't believe that men are neurologically wired to stay with one woman for their entire lives. I need variety in my sex life. Society—and by that I really mean women—has created monogamy as a way to trap males. I'm not looking for anything serious and I don't want to be tied down. For now, let's just enjoy each other's company. If you end up meeting someone else and wanting to date him seriously, just let me know."_

"_Wow," Usagi said, "you can be such a jerk. That arrangement is fine with me, because I would never want any sort of relationship with someone like you, anyway."_

* * *

And yet, Usagi did recognize that he became emotionally dependent on her, in that she was the only person he could talk to about certain things, such as his fears and insecurities. He had shared things about his past, such as how his parents had died in a car crash when he was six, leaving him in an orphanage, and how he had to work twice as hard to succeed because of this.

Perhaps she became dependent in some ways, as well. She would read something funny online and he was the first person she thought of telling. She loved leaning up against him while they watched movies on the couch, feeling his warmth envelop her. But at the same time, he constantly frustrated her. He showed little interest in meeting her friends, and he frequently made arrogant and insensitive comments. Not to mention the fact that they had irreconcilable differences regarding relationships and what they entailed.

"This station is Shibuya, Shibuya," announced a gentle female voice.

Usagi's reminiscing abruptly came to an end. "Coming through, sorry, sorry!" She had to squeeze her way from her seat to make it out the door.

Usagi arrived at the statue only five minutes late, which for her was equivalent to being a half hour early. There were probably 50 people loitering around the dog statue waiting for friends, but Mamoru spotted her quickly and came over with a smile and a box in hand.

"You look pretty," he said, but Usagi noticed he sounded a bit disappointed. "But why are you wearing that dress?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's no cleavage," he replied, in complete earnest. At least he remained predictable in some ways, Usagi thought.

"Well, I tried to explain to you that we should stop seeing each other, and I will continue to maintain that position," Usagi said. "I'm trying to keep you from staring at my boobs all night."

"That's not very nice. I even brought you a gift." Mamoru handed her the box. She opened it to find an assortment of expensive-looking truffles.

"Um, thank you." This was the first time he had ever bought her a gift, and she truly did not know what to say.

Mamoru held out his arm for her. She stared at him. "Take my arm," he said.

Usagi put her hands on her hips and glared up at him. "What did I just tell you?"

"What, am I that bad?" Mamoru smirked at her, and proceeded to link his arm through the space she created by putting her hands on her hips. "Let's go. Our reservation actually isn't until 7:30, but you're always late so I wanted a cushion. I guess now we can grab a drink at the bar."

They began walking with Mamoru leading the way.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he said. "It's one of the best restaurants in town. I think Princess Masako ate there once."

Usagi gaped. "What? It must be horribly expensive! What are you thinking?"

Mamoru merely smiled in response.

"You idiot, I hope you don't think you can impress me by spending a bunch of money on me, then expect I'll suddenly think you're perfect," Usagi huffed.

"Shush. You might change your mind after you try the food."


	4. Chapter 4

Huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed, as well as those who have favorited or followed the story! It means so much to me :) **Shaydoe**: This chapter's a bit shorter, sorry! I wanted to put their whole date in one chapter, but I was too excited after finishing the first half, and I decided to post it early. **Smfan4ever72**: I'm glad you like the characters! Usagi is strong and rationally knows what she wants, but her feelings are confusing her. **Arabella Violetta**: I think when they first met Mamoru was very attracted to Usagi but didn't anticipate falling for her, and her telling him that she met someone else jolted him into action (although like you said, he probably Googled "how to be romantic" or something). **Querida Usagi**: Thank you! Romance stories are always more entertaining when the guy's a bit of a jerk, aren't they? Sigh, I wonder why.

Now onto Chapter 4, the first half of Mamoru and Usagi's big date!

* * *

It was windy as the two of them walked to the restaurant—arms linked despite Usagi's insistence—with Mamoru bragging about how much fun she was going to have. It was quite different walking side-by-side and having a conversation, Usagi thought; usually Mamoru, who had much longer legs, would walk in front of her and then periodically stop when he realized she had fallen behind.

"We're going to do whatever you want tonight," Mamoru said.

"Really, anything?" Usagi said. "How about a threesome with another guy?"

"The _bad_ kind of threesome?" Mamoru asked incredulously, as if his pride was wounded by the mere question. "Absolutely not! Let me clarify that it can be anything within reason."

After a couple of minutes he stopped in front of a tall gray hotel building. The doorman held the doors open as Mamoru and Usagi walked inside. The lobby was a wide oval space with two large marble pillars at either end, the sides lined in plush couches. They walked to the elevators, Usagi's heels making small clinking noises on the polished floor.

"Chez Matsuyama, please," Mamoru told the crisply uniformed elevator operator, who pressed the button for the 39th floor.

"'Chez Matsuyama'—is it French and Japanese fusion?" Usagi asked.

Mamoru shook his head. "Just traditional French," he said. "It's the pet project of the hotel owner's wife. I heard they lose an absurd amount of money every year because she hired a chef who insists on importing every single ingredient from France. I guess the hotel makes boatloads of money to offset the cost, and the owner is happy to keep his wife occupied while he runs around with his mistresses."

"Because all men have to sleep around to be happy, correct?" Usagi said, not without a hint of snark.

"Powerful and wealthy men like the hotel owner, I suppose," he responded.

"Do men who become powerful and wealthy fall into that lifestyle of infidelity, or is it that type of ambitious, testosterone-driven nature that enables them to succeed in the first place?"

"That's...that's an interesting question," Mamoru said. "But not the desired subject of conversation for the evening."

The elevator dinged, and Mamoru put his arm around Usagi's waist and led her to the bar. She sat down on a stool while he went to the hostesses in front to tell them that they were early for their reservation.

The bar was modern with low lighting—not what Usagi had been expecting for a traditional French restaurant. She looked around, examining the unique light fixtures.

Mamoru rejoined her and they both ordered cocktails with fanciful names; Usagi's was colorful and tropical while Mamoru went with a new take on the Old Fashioned.

"Why don't want you want to talk about cheating?" Usagi bluntly jumped back into the conversation.

"Usagi, I said that I wanted to have a nice evening with you," Mamoru said.

"So you admit that discussing your views on infidelity will prevent me from enjoying the evening?"

"Usagi, please?"

Something in Mamoru's tone made her stop. "Okay, then tell me about your work this past week."

They continued talking; within ten minutes a hostess had informed them that their table was ready and escorted them into the dining area. It was then Usagi realized that the bar and the restaurant shared no common theme. The room itself reminded her of a fancy dining car in an old train, with lovely oak panels lining the walls. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling and each table had small candles and vases of fresh flowers. Moreover, the view was spectacular. Usagi walked over to the window, glancing out at the tall skyscrapers in nearby Shinjuku.

"Nice view, isn't it?" Mamoru said from behind her.

"I love seeing the lights in the buildings," Usagi said. "Although I wish you could see the stars," she finished softly.

Mamoru pulled out her chair, again surprising Usagi. "You're pulling out all the stops, huh? The middle ages called; they want their chivalry back."

"The 90s called; they want their terrible joke set-up back," he countered. Usagi stuck out her tongue but sat down and looked at her menu.

There were only three options: special, "Ambassador," and "Sovereign." The number of courses, and therefore the price, increased by level. The Sovereign had seven courses, each of which included black truffles.

"I'm getting the Sovereign," Mamoru announced.

"Well then, you'd better be ready to share everything," Usagi said.

Just then the waiter came over and Mamoru ordered a bottle of wine. "And we'd both like the Sovereign course, please." He looked over at Usagi as the waiter walked away. "Now you can have your own black truffle experience, my dear Usako," he said, placing his hand over hers on the table.

"Usako? Where did that come from? Look, Mamoru, I know what you're trying to do by taking me out and dropping money on me. But this," she pulled her hand away, "does not feel right. Why now? Just because I met someone else? If I hadn't met someone else, would we still be where we were before?"

"Usagi," Mamoru said, putting his hand back on hers and intertwining their fingers, "I like you, okay? But right now I don't want to discuss what that means. We can have more 'serious talk' later, I promise."

"Fine, fine," Usagi conceded.

Most of their dinner was spent gawking at and praising the inventive uses of black truffles in each course—particularly the six different tiny desserts at the end. Conversation also included politics, both deploring the weak leadership coming from a string of prime ministers in the past few years.

When the waiter brought the bill Mamoru grabbed the check holder, but Usagi peeked over and gasped. "Jesus, that's half my monthly rent. My pride demands that I split it with you, but I don't think I can afford to."

"It's fine. I told you this was a date," Mamoru said. "Tonight everything's on me, my little Usako."

"Okay, fine...Mamo-chan." She meant it to be sickly sweet, but he appeared to be pleased that she was giving him a nickname. He paid and the two of them walked outside.

"Mamoru, dinner was excellent," Usagi said. "Thank you very much for taking me out. We can talk later, as you said. But now I should really go home. I'll just hop in a taxi."

"That's nonsense," Mamoru stated matter-of-factly.

"Mamoru," Usagi's voice hardened, "I enjoyed myself, but it's time for me to go home."

"Why do you keep fighting me?" he asked. Usagi crossed her arms and said nothing. When a taxi pulled over, she reached to grab the door handle, but Mamoru pushed her up against the door and gave her a passionate kiss.

When he pulled away she was breathing heavily and her heart was beating wildly. Mamoru stared into her eyes. "Would you be having this much fun with that other guy?"

"Way to ruin the moment," Usagi said and got into the car, muttering an apology to the driver. Mamoru followed her inside the taxi and Usagi decided not to argue with him. Mamoru told the driver the name of a club in Nishi-Azabu.

"You're taking me to a club?" she asked, surprised.

"You always say you want to go out dancing. Are you going to turn down this opportunity? Maybe you don't want to embarrass yourself...?" Mamoru said.

"Dammit, stop trying to challenge me! You know it always works, you jerk." She pushed her finger into his chest. "I bet you're the one who's awkward on the dance floor. Are you actually going to dance?" Usagi knew Mamoru had a distinct aversion to dancing; she reasoned that he probably had no rhythm.

"Well, not exactly," he said. "I'll stand there, and you can shake and wiggle your butt on me. It'll be a win-win situation." Usagi smacked him but could not hide her grin.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everyone! Thanks for all of the reviews, follows, favorites, and PMs! You are all wonderful and amazing. **Querida Usagi**: Hope you enjoy the "fun activities." I found myself struggling to not use romance novel vocab but it's so damn hard to talk about sex without either sounding overly clinical or overly corny. **beaucoup riant**: I will try my best to address that in the next (and final?) chapter.**  
**

Please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think or if you notice any errors or inconsistencies. Thank you so much, and enjoy the second half of Mamoru and Usagi's date!

-AM

* * *

Usagi brought her hand up behind her and around the back of Mamoru's neck, tangling in his hair. She trailed her right hand down her side until it reached Mamoru's hand, which was resting on her waist, then rolled her hips. Mamoru reached down with his other hand and teasingly slid her dress hem up higher and higher.

The club was long and narrow but full of people writhing and sweating. There was a constant thumping from the music and the ceiling was flashing various shades of blue. Usagi felt lightheaded and overheated from desire.

She turned back around to face Mamoru. "Let's get more drinks," she said, needing to cool herself down. They walked over to the bar; Usagi threaded her fingers through his belt loops while he ordered two Long Island iced teas.

"Usako, I have to go to the bathroom. Just grab the drinks and wait for me here," Mamoru said.

Within minutes of Mamoru walking away, Usagi was approached by an attractive brown-haired man who looked quite young.

"Come dance with me," the man said.

"No thanks, I'm just going to stay here," Usagi said.

The man put his hand on Usagi's lower back. "Are you sure?"

"Really, I'm—" Usagi began, but she was cut off by a masculine voice.

"She's with me," Mamoru said, taking the man's hand and jerking it away from Usagi's back. The other man quickly backed off.

"Flirting with other guys the moment I walk away, hm?" His voice was more teasing than angry.

"I would have taken care of it myself, but the caveman act is kind of sexy," Usagi said, but then flushed when she realized there was a beautiful redhead standing behind Mamoru. "Oh, hi Beryl."

"Oh yeah, I ran into Beryl on the way to the bathroom," Mamoru said. "Ah, here are the Long Islands. Here, you ladies take these drinks. I'll be right back."

Beryl slid up next up next to Usagi at the bar. "Hello, Usagi." Usagi was surprised that Beryl even knew her name.

Beryl was an aloof and eccentric artist a few years older than Mamoru. She frequently name-dropped important entertainment executives and politicians in her anecdotes; she seemed to know everyone who mattered in Tokyo. Usagi had figured that Beryl and Mamoru had slept together at some point, but had never wanted to ask Mamoru to confirm.

"Are you in love with Mamoru?" Beryl asked bluntly.

"Um...I'm not sure exactly what's going on between us, to be honest," Usagi replied.

"Well, you must be something special," Beryl said. "Mamoru's head over heels."

Usagi was very surprised; not only did Beryl know her name, apparently Mamoru had been talking about their relationship to Beryl. "You think so? He's always maintained that he doesn't want anything serious. Why do you think this is any different?"

"I've known Mamoru since before he went to New York," Beryl said, "and I can't think of the last time he's been with one woman for more than a week. Besides, he never puts effort into, well, 'courting' women. But now look at him—taking you to Chez Matsuyama, one of the best restaurants in the city."

"He mentioned that he was taking me there?" Usagi asked.

"Dear, do you think it's easy to get reservations to Matsuyama a couple of days in advance? Most people have to wait three months or more. He begged me to help, so I pulled some strings and managed to get you guys a table."

"Wow...thank you," Usagi said. "The food was delicious."

"Don't thank me—thank him. He's such a great guy, and he seems to really like you."

Usagi did not know what else to say. Fortunately Mamoru came up and rescued her.

"Beryl, thank you for holding my drink," Mamoru said and winked. "I'll take that back now. Usagi and I are going to head back to the dance floor."

* * *

After several more hours of dancing, drinking, and dancing some more, Usagi was tired from standing in her heels. She tugged on Mamoru's shirt and told him she wanted to leave. She picked up their coats and her purse from the bag check and Mamoru quickly said goodbye to Beryl.

They stumbled outside, Usagi holding onto Mamoru to steady herself, partly from intoxication and partly because her feet were killing her. She opened her mouth to speak but Mamoru preempted her.

"Before you try to insist that you are going home, let's be clear that you are drunk and it's not safe for you to go home alone," Mamoru said, using his serious voice. "Someone might try to take advantage of you."

"So instead I have to let you take advantage of me?"

"Precisely," he responded.

"I guess I can deal with that," Usagi said, smiling wryly.

Mamoru hailed a cab and told the driver his address. When they were a few blocks away from his apartment, Usagi saw the bright flashing lights of karaoke. "Let's go—I want to sing! You said we could do anything I want!"

Mamoru grumbled for a bit but then acquiesced and told the driver to pull over. Mamoru and Usagi headed down the stairs into the entrance. The owner gave them a tiny room toward the back of a labyrinth of dark, smoky hallways. Mamoru settled onto the couch on the right side of the small room, so Usagi deliberately sat out of reach on the other side.

Usagi quickly picked an AKB48 song, and performed a cheesy little dance routine while singing. When she finished, Mamoru had yet to input a song, and was still flipping through the songbook.

"Mamo-chan, pick something! You're wasting our precious singing time!"

"Sorry, dear Usako." He punched in a Western song with a name she did not recognize and he stood up to sing, facing the monitor. The first few verses started off restrained and then the intensity picked up at the bridge.

_In my life there's been heartache and pain—I don't know if I can face it again_

_Can't stop now, I've traveled so far to change this lonely life_

_I wanna know what love is...I want you to show me_

_I wanna feel what love is...I know you can show me_

It was not a confession per se, but Usagi recognized the obvious implication.

"I know some English ones, too," she said, grabbing the other microphone. She began to sing one of her karaoke staples, "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men, a song that always made her girlfriends giggle. Mamoru laughed when she practically screamed "Throw your clothes on the floor! I'm gonna take my clothes off, too."

"Let's go home," Mamoru said as soon as she finished the song.

"But we paid for an hour; we still have 45 minutes left! Why do you want to leave now?" She looked at Mamoru, who was now staring at her like a predator. "Oh."

* * *

Still tipsy but no longer completely inebriated, Usagi allowed Mamoru to give her a piggy-back ride to his apartment. She had taken off her heels and put them in her purse, and there was no way she was putting them on over her now blister-ridden feet. She could not deny that it felt nice to have her arms and legs wrapped around his body, and she was not the slightest bit concerned about the indecent amount of leg she was baring in public.

Mamoru let her off when they walked through the front doors. Usagi gave him a kiss on the cheek for his labor.

"Thank you for carrying me," she said, moving to press the elevator button. Mamoru grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the staircase.

"Why are we taking the stairs? My feet still hurt," Usagi said.

Mamoru placed his hands on her butt and squeezed. "Don't worry; I'll push you up."

They walked up seven flights of stairs with Mamoru pushing her from behind, stopping only to briefly make out on each landing. By the time they reached his floor, Usagi's hair was a complete mess and she was panting from the exertion and her arousal.

As soon as Mamoru opened the door Usagi began pulling her dress over her head. Mamoru was immediately in front of her, sliding his hands down from her breasts, over her waist and down the side of her hips.

"Why did you feel the need to hide this from me all night?" Mamoru said. Usagi's nipples were peeking out from the lacy black demi-bra, and he leaned over to kiss each one.

Mamoru reached around and unhooked her bra, then began biting one nipple while he massaged her other breast. He then kissed down from between her breasts, down to her belly button, and stopped right at the elastic of her black thong. He slowly pulled it down and off her legs while licking the crease between her leg and pelvic bone.

Usagi shuddered, incredibly turned on yet feeling slightly vulnerable standing there naked while he was fully clothed. She lifted him back up and began to unbutton his shirt. She slid it off, trailing her hands over his pectorals, shoulders and biceps. Then, still rubbing his arms and chest with her hands, she stood up on her tiptoes to begin licking the curve of his ear. He closed his eyes and she knew she was doing it just right.

Mamoru suddenly pulled away at arm's length. He stared at her for a moment, then picked her up bridal style and carried her into his bedroom.

"We can do it on the floor," she protested, but he said nothing.

He placed Usagi on the bed, laid down and hauled her on top of himself and kissed her. Then he cradled her head down and brought her into a hug. He held her there for a few seconds, still silent. The smell of his sweat mixed with his cologne was wreaking havoc on her senses; she had to stop herself from sniffing his armpit lest he think she was crazy.

Usagi lifted her head back up and stared down into his eyes. It crossed her mind that it could be their last meeting, and she felt a tight sensation in her chest.

"You know, I hate to admit it and boost your already over-inflated ego, but...I did have fun tonight," Usagi conceded. Mamoru's lips curved up into something between a smirk and a smile.

Usagi put her hands on his chest and moved so she was straddling him. She began to slowly rub herself back and forth over him, moaning at the sensation of her wetness and the friction with his erection. Then she carefully positioned herself so that it was just barely poking at her folds.

"God," Usagi said, breathing heavily. "I've wanted to fuck you all night."

"We're not fucking. This—" Mamoru grunted, roughly grabbing Usagi's hips, pulling her downward and simultaneously ramming himself into her while she gasped in pleasure, clenching her muscles tight around him, "—is called making love."

* * *

Usagi woke up as little spoon with Mamoru's arm wrapped just under her breasts. She reached her arm out to grab her phone; it was 2pm and Seiya had texted her at noon to ask about her dinner plans.

Shit, she thought, I am a fucking mess. She resolved to sort out her conflicting emotions, but she needed to do it somewhere else.

Usagi slithered out of the position and got out of bed, careful to move slowly so as not to wake Mamoru. He was gently snoring, now in an awkward position with his arms sprawled out as a result of her escape. She sighed and moved the comforter so that it was fully covering his arms and feet.

She walked out into the living room, finding her used underwear and bra partway under the sofa. She had not brought her usual change of underwear as a sort of insurance policy, which she now regretted as she slid on her dirty underwear.

Her bag and shoes were right by the door. She saw the box of chocolates poking out of her purse and she set the box down on his counter. She did not feel right sneaking out of his apartment with his gift still in her possession.

She walked out the door questioning her own sanity, both for consenting to go out with him in the first place and for leaving him there without saying goodbye.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi again everyone! Sorry about the delay. I've been having trouble finishing the big Usagi-Mamoru showdown, and I finally decided that I should just split this intermediary part into a separate chapter and upload it, both to build up to the end and to motivate me to finish it. So...it looks like there will be one more chapter after this! Haha, please don't kill me :)

Thank you everyone for your wonderful and helpful reviews and PMs, along with the follows and favorites. **Rakusa**: Thank you so much for reviewing! You're right; I'm often on the minimalist side, for better or worse. **asghdjk**: The next chapter will have Mamoru explaining a bit more. **J**: Thanks! I fixed it. **Querida** **Usagi**: Yeah, Usagi's a bit of a coward. But of course I'm sending her back ;) **Lulu **and **mi-mak****oto-chan**: Absolutely! She cheated on Seiya, and she should feel guilty. I hope this chapter resolves some of the issues. **sayuri-uzuki**: I hope it's okay that I used some of your wisdom in Minako's advice!

Hope you all enjoy the chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!

-AM

* * *

_Ladies, I really need to talk to you. Emergency session at the cafe at 4pm?_

Usagi texted her girlfriends; before meeting them she had an unpleasant mission to carry out. She dialed a number on her phone and spoke, trying to keep her pitch even.

"Hi, Seiya? I know you wanted to meet for dinner, but can I come over now? I have to talk to you about something important."

* * *

Usagi stood outside Seiya's door, holding her hand in front of the door while preparing what she was going to say. Suddenly the door opened, revealing a concerned-looking Seiya. "I thought I heard shuffling outside my door," he said and kissed her cheek. "Is everything okay?"

"Um, not really, no," Usagi replied.

"Aren't you going to come inside? Can I get you some coffee or something?"

"No, I'd rather just stay right here," Usagi said. "Look, Seiya, I'm a terrible person. Last night I slept with my...well, I guess he's my ex. I feel absolutely horrible about what I did. I had no intention of hurting you but I made some bad decisions and what's done is done."

Seiya looked down at the floor, but Usagi had caught the hurt evident in his eyes. "Did I...did I do something wrong?"

"God, no!" Usagi said. "Not at all! You have been nothing but wonderful. It was my fault for initially agreeing to go on a date with you when I clearly wasn't ready to start seeing someone else. This only reflects poorly on me."

"So this wasn't just a one-time mistake? Are you going to restart your relationship with your ex?"

Usagi sighed. "To be entirely honest, I'm not sure. Maybe."

"Are you in love with him?" Seiya asked.

"I..." Usagi was dumbstruck.

Seiya seemed to ponder her response. "Usagi, I like you a lot and I think we get along well. I thought we might have a future together. But we've only been dating for a few weeks, and it's apparent that you still have feelings for your ex. Whatever happens, I hope you find happiness."

"Seiya...that really means a lot to me," Usagi said. "Thank you for being so understanding. I know you'll find an amazing woman who actually deserves you. And I completely understand if you don't want to speak to me at work."

"I can't say it won't be awkward at first," Seiya said, "but I think we can be civil with each other in the office. After all, I might need your help with the fax machine next time."

Usagi smiled. "My pleasure. So, I'll see you at work, then?" They both gave a small wave and Usagi departed, feeling some of the weight lifting off her chest.

* * *

Four girls sat in a cafe, each stirring their respective coffee beverages. A tall woman with brown hair ran in, brushing strands of hair away from her face. "Sorry I'm late, Usagi! I hope this is juicy!"

"Mako, I'm the one who should be apologizing for asking you guys to meet me here on such short notice, taking you away from your boyfriends and husbands—"

"I'm still single!" Rei interjected.

"And Zoi and I don't have enough unpredictability in our lives, so I appreciate your dramatic stories," Ami said.

"Why thank you, Ami, I'm pleased that you enjoy my suffering," Usagi jokingly retorted. "As I was saying, I know that all of you—except for Rei!—are busy with your significant others who rarely cause you anguish or stress, but I am coming off of several terrible decisions in less than 24 hours. First of all, I just broke up with Seiya."

"What?" The girls chorused in shock.

"Ha!" Minako exclaimed triumphantly. "You decided to stay with Mamoru after having wild monkey sex, didn't you?"

"Wait a minute, you slept with Mamoru again?" Rei asked. The girls all began muttering amongst themselves.

"Okay, okay, let me explain from the beginning," Usagi said. "Mamoru was harassing me after I broke it off, and somehow he convinced me to go out to dinner with him yesterday. He took me to Chez Matsuyama—"

"Damn, girl!" Makoto said.

"Yeah, it was swanky," Usagi agreed. "He was trying to demonstrate value. He took me to a club, then karaoke, and then we ended up sleeping together. When I woke up today I hightailed it out of there. I broke up with Seiya less than an hour ago because I couldn't possibly look him in the face after cheating on him, but I feel terrible about hurting him. He's such a great guy, and he's always been such a gentleman, as opposed to Mamoru. Now I'm completely at a loss what to do."

Rei pursed her lips. "So, are you getting back together with Mamoru, the self-centered commitment-phobe?"

"I have no idea what I'm doing, which is why I needed to talk to you guys," Usagi said. "Logically I know that being with Mamoru makes no sense. But last night...it hurt to think that I wouldn't see him anymore. I think my feelings for him run deeper than I thought. Maybe it's because we slept together so long?"

"It's true that oxytocin is released during and after intercourse," Ami said, "and many studies have demonstrated its effects on bonding. In fact, I just read a study in Psychoneuroendocrinology reinforcing the theory that parental and romantic attachment have similar underlying biological and behavioral mechanisms."

At this stage of friendship, Usagi and her other friends were accustomed to Ami's scientific monologues. Usagi put her palms on her forehead. "Ugh, science is not on my side."

"But why is it impossible for you two to have a real relationship?" Makoto asked. "It sounds like he's trying to be more serious."

"Our relationship has only ever been about sex," Usagi said. "Nothing more. There's no foundation."

"There's no one right way for love to develop," Minako said. "It can come from friendship or a physical connection. People and circumstances change; why isn't it possible that you two could fall in love?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what happened with me and Satoshi. And also with Takehiro. Oh, and sort of with Koji, that hottie..." Makoto trailed off, looking dreamy.

"Okay, I've heard from the doctor, the love cheerleader, and the serial monogamist. What about the cynic?" Usagi said.

"Is that supposed to be me?" Rei stuck her tongue out in an imitation of their childish fights in the past and both girls giggled. "Honestly, Usagi, in the end it's your choice to make, giant mistake or not."

"I just can't help but feel that I will regret this," Usagi said.

"You should never regret falling in love." Minako said quietly. "Love is the strongest force in the universe." Ami looked up at this. "And Ami, don't you dare correct me again by saying it's the strong nuclear force!" The girls all broke out into laughter, and conversation began to drift to other topics. Usagi heard a buzzing in her purse. There was a single text from Mamoru on her cell:

_You ran away._

She wondered if it was a statement or a question. _We need to have serious talk again. Are you home?_ she wrote back.

Usagi vaguely listened to Makoto describing a cake fiasco at work while her mind traveled back to Mamoru. It was clear that he didn't want to lose her, but she was skeptical that his selfish desire to hold on was blossoming love. Yet it seemed like almost everyone was trying to convince her to give Mamoru a chance. Usagi glanced over at Rei. Usagi was a hopeless romantic compared with her dark-haired friend, but she found herself sympathizing with Rei's cynicism about men. Or maybe, Usagi thought, Rei just needed a boyfriend who would throw her attitude right back at her. An idea crossed her mind, but her thoughts were interrupted by another message from Mamoru.

_Yes, but I don't think I can handle more serious talk_.

Usagi looked up from her phone. Makoto was still telling her story.

"—and then one side collapses, and the fondant is a complete mess, but we've only got 20 minutes before the bride's mother—"

She waited for Makoto's story to end and then stood up from her chair. "Guys, I think I'm going to take a visit to Mamoru's apartment. Thank you for coming out; I love you all. I'll make sure to keep you updated."

"I'll be awaiting those save-the-date cards any day now," Minako said, smirking.

"Quiet, you." She started to head away before she remembered something. "Oh, and Rei, remind me to introduce you to my friend Jadeite."

Usagi headed out the door while writing another message to Mamoru. _Maybe it won't be painful. I'll be there in half an hour. _


End file.
